Archive for January, 2008

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We are of God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and he who is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

January 8, 2008

When: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 12:00 AM to Wednesday, January 09, 2008 12:00 AM (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada).
 
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
 
Words of Jesus
Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you."   Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing." 
Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"  Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." 
John 20:26-29
 
Nothing is sweeter than the calm of conscience, nothing safer than purity of soul – yet no one can bestow this on himself because it is properly the gift of God’s grace.
— St. Columbanus
 
Abba, Father, Lord God, let Thy grace rain down on my head. Wash away the impurities that I have brought into my heart and head. Place Thy calming hand upon my head and free my soul from all that is dead.
 
22 and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 All who keep his commandments abide in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given us.
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the spirit of antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming, and now it is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are of God, and have overcome them; for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world, therefore what they say is of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are of God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and he who is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
7 I will tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my son, today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear, with trembling 12 kiss his feet, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way; for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
12 Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee; 13 and leaving Nazareth he went and dwelt in Caper’na-um by the sea, in the territory of Zeb’ulun and Naph’tali, 14 that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 "The land of Zeb’ulun and the land of Naph’tali, toward the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles — 16 the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned." 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." 23 And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decap’olis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.
 
 
Pope Benedict XVI Encyclical Letter
 
 

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O foolish men, slow of heart to believe… How small will the present moment appear when you enter that great ocean of eternity with Me.

January 6, 2008

When: Sunday, January 06, 2008 12:00 AM to Monday, January 07, 2008 12:00 AM (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada).
 
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
 
Words of Jesus
And he said to them, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!  Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?"

Luke 24:25-26
 
We must often draw the comparison between time and eternity. This is the remedy of all our troubles. How small will the present moment appear when we enter that great ocean.
— St. Elizebeth Ann Seton
 
 
Abba, Father, Lord God, just has Jesus spoke ‘O foolish man, slow of heart to believe’. And now I seek wisdom and knowledge, both of which I am not worthy nor ready to receive. For I still look within for my sake rather than look from within for others sake. Squeezing life out of the moment by consuming my mind with my feelings, rather the filling the moment with life by consuming myself with the feelings of others. O how we fail not to just believe, but to see. For if we are to walking with and in Jesus, we must not just believe in His love, but see His passion and realize with believing is seeing and in seeing is feeling. We cannot have one without the other. For as You are Father, Son and Holy Spirit; with believing if we are to see we must be ready to feel. Feel the joy, feel the passion. O Lord God I may never be ready under the sun, but I ask that You never let me give up the fight to reflect the image of Your Son. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
 
 
Isaiah 60:1-6
1 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. 2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. 3 And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. 4 Lift up your eyes round about, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be carried in the arms. 5 Then you shall see and be radiant, your heart shall thrill and rejoice; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. 6 A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Mid’ian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD.
Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13
1 Give the king thy justice, O God, and thy righteousness to the royal son! 2 May he judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with justice! 7 In his days may righteousness flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more! 8 May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth! 10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him tribute, may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! 11 May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him! 12 For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. 13 He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy.
Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6
2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 that is, how the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Matthew 2:1-12
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, 2 "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him." 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: 6 `And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.’" 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; 8 and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him." 9 When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; 11 and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
 
 
Pope Benedict XVI Encyclical Letter
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20071130_spe-salvi_en.html
 
 
 

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O foolish men, slow of heart to believe… How small will the present moment appear when you enter that great ocean of eternity with Me.

January 6, 2008

When: Sunday, January 06, 2008 12:00 AM to Monday, January 07, 2008 12:00 AM (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada).
 
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
 
Words of Jesus
And he said to them, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!  Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?"
Luke 24:25-26
 
We must often draw the comparison between time and eternity. This is the remedy of all our troubles. How small will the present moment appear when we enter that great ocean.
— St. Elizebeth Ann Seton
 
 
Abba, Father, Lord God, just has Jesus spoke ‘O foolish man, slow of heart to believe’. And now I seek wisdom and knowledge, both of which I am not worthy nor ready to receive. For I still look within for my sake rather than look from within for others sake. Squeezing life out of the moment by consuming my mind with my feelings, rather the filling the moment with life by consuming myself with the feelings of others. O how we fail not to just believe, but to see. For if we are to walking with and in Jesus, we must not just believe in His love, but see His passion and realize with believing is seeing and in seeing is feeling. We cannot have one without the other. For as You are Father, Son and Holy Spirit; with believing if we are to see we must be ready to feel. Feel the joy, feel the passion. O Lord God I may never be ready under the sun, but I ask that You never let me give up the fight to reflect the image of Your Son. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
 
 
1 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. 2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. 3 And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. 4 Lift up your eyes round about, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be carried in the arms. 5 Then you shall see and be radiant, your heart shall thrill and rejoice; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. 6 A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Mid’ian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD.
1 Give the king thy justice, O God, and thy righteousness to the royal son! 2 May he judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with justice! 7 In his days may righteousness flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more! 8 May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth! 10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him tribute, may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! 11 May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him! 12 For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. 13 He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy.
2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 that is, how the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, 2 "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him." 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: 6 `And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.’" 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; 8 and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him." 9 When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; 11 and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
 
 
Pope Benedict XVI Encyclical Letter
 
 
 

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Trials and tribulations offer us a chance to make reparation for our past faults and sins. On such occasions the Lord comes to us like a physician to heal the wounds left by our sins. Tribulation is the divine medicine.

January 5, 2008

When: Saturday, January 05, 2008 12:00 AM to Sunday, January 06, 2008 12:00 AM (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada).

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Words of Jesus

He said to them, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he." They said to him, "Who are you?" Jesus said to them, "Even what I have told you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to judge; but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him."

John 8:23-26

Trials and tribulations offer us a chance to make reparation for our past faults and sins. On such occasions the Lord comes to us like a physician to heal the wounds left by our sins. Tribulation is the divine medicine.

— St. Augustine

Abba, Father, Lord God, O how I relate to the words of Jesus today, for I know I am not of this world, but yet I am condemned by my heart under the sun for having failed You so. For I feel I have not yet achieved the balance within what I know; I know I can do nothing without You, that if I am to do You will and seek Your purpose I must do so in and with Jesus. I know that Jesus is the way and that He has overcome the world under the sun, but I have been unable to achieve the balance in what I know I must do and what I do, finding myself absent of Him far too often. Help me to feel more of Jesus and less of me, help me be more like Jesus and less like me, help me to reflect more of the image of Jesus and less of me. For it is when I am in Jesus that I feel most complete knowing I am in this world, but not of it. Capable of giving the love that I receive from Him; that love driven by faith, fulfilled in passion for me. A gift for I could never earn or do anything to deserve this love, and this is the way in which I must release it. So Lord God if I only get one thing done today, let it be loving You through Jesus and let that love touch someone in His name today. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

1 John 3:11-21</vbible/search.asp?abbr=_1John&ch=3&bv1=11&ev1=21>

11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12 and not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. 13 Do not wonder, brethren, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. 15 Any one who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But if any one has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth. 19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth, and reassure our hearts before him 20 whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God;

Psalm 100:1-5</vbible/search.asp?abbr=Ps&ch=100&bv1=1&ev1=5>

1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the lands! 2 Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 3 Know that the LORD is God! It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him, bless his name! 5 For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures for ever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

John 1:43-51</vbible/search.asp?abbr=John&ch=1&bv1=43&ev1=51>

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And he found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." 44 Now Philip was from Beth-sa'ida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathan'a-el, and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46 Nathan'a-el said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47 Jesus saw Nathan'a-el coming to him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" 48 Nathan'a-el said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49 Nathan'a-el answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these." 51 And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man."

Pope Benedict XVI Encyclical Letter

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20071130_spe-salvi_en.html

Posted in Bible Readings, Daily Bible Readings, Daily Prayers, Richard Angulo | Leave a Comment »

Trials and tribulations offer us a chance to make reparation for our past faults and sins. On such occasions the Lord comes to us like a physician to heal the wounds left by our sins. Tribulation is the divine medicine.

January 5, 2008

When: Saturday, January 05, 2008 12:00 AM to Sunday, January 06, 2008 12:00 AM (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada).

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Words of Jesus

He said to them, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he." They said to him, "Who are you?" Jesus said to them, "Even what I have told you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to judge; but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him."

John 8:23-26

Trials and tribulations offer us a chance to make reparation for our past faults and sins. On such occasions the Lord comes to us like a physician to heal the wounds left by our sins. Tribulation is the divine medicine.

— St. Augustine

Abba, Father, Lord God, O how I relate to the words of Jesus today, for I know I am not of this world, but yet I am condemned by my heart under the sun for having failed You so. For I feel I have not yet achieved the balance within what I know; I know I can do nothing without You, that if I am to do You will and seek Your purpose I must do so in and with Jesus. I know that Jesus is the way and that He has overcome the world under the sun, but I have been unable to achieve the balance in what I know I must do and what I do, finding myself absent of Him far too often. Help me to feel more of Jesus and less of me, help me be more like Jesus and less like me, help me to reflect more of the image of Jesus and less of me. For it is when I am in Jesus that I feel most complete knowing I am in this world, but not of it. Capable of giving the love that I receive from Him; that love driven by faith, fulfilled in passion for me. A gift for I could never earn or do anything to deserve this love, and this is the way in which I must release it. So Lord God if I only get one thing done today, let it be loving You through Jesus and let that love touch someone in His name today. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

1 John 3:11-21</vbible/search.asp?abbr=_1John&ch=3&bv1=11&ev1=21>

11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12 and not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. 13 Do not wonder, brethren, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. 15 Any one who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But if any one has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth. 19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth, and reassure our hearts before him 20 whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God;

Psalm 100:1-5</vbible/search.asp?abbr=Ps&ch=100&bv1=1&ev1=5>

1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the lands! 2 Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 3 Know that the LORD is God! It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him, bless his name! 5 For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures for ever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

John 1:43-51</vbible/search.asp?abbr=John&ch=1&bv1=43&ev1=51>

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And he found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." 44 Now Philip was from Beth-sa'ida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathan'a-el, and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46 Nathan'a-el said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47 Jesus saw Nathan'a-el coming to him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" 48 Nathan'a-el said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49 Nathan'a-el answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these." 51 And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man."

Pope Benedict XVI Encyclical Letter

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20071130_spe-salvi_en.html

Posted in Daily Bible Readings | Leave a Comment »

You strayed from the way and did not return because you were ashamed. It would be more logical if you were ashamed not to return.

January 5, 2008

When: Friday, January 04, 2008 12:00 AM to Saturday, January 05, 2008 12:00 AM (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada).
 
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
 
Words of Jesus
And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."  And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." 

Luke 23:42-43
 
You strayed from the way and did not return because you were ashamed. It would be more logical if you were ashamed not to return.
— St. Jose Escriva’
 
Abba, Father, Lord God, this day when I once again struggled to find or make the time to spend with You, I am blessed by the commentary and podcast by Chuck Colson titled Reflections for New Year’s Day. From the words that David spoke to You in 1 Chronicles to their impact and inspiration on John Newton to write the hymn Amazing Grace, and his counseling of the young William Wilberforce and encouragement to stay the course which ended in the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833. This Act paved the way for the complete abolition of slavery in the British Empire; Wilberforce died just three days after hearing of the passage of the Act through Parliament. I am reminded just how insignificant the things are that I let affect me and how I must continue the fight so that there is more of Jesus and less of me in what I think, see and do. So I ask that in sharing this commentary and including the lyrics to Amazing Grace that You will use this posting to touch, humble and inspire someone else as You have done with me. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen. 
 
 
http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=7368
 
‘Amazing Grace’
 
At the end of December 1772, an Anglican priest in the poor parish of Olney worked by candlelight on his New Year’s Day sermon. He would preach on the text of 1 Chronicles 17, verses 16 and 17. That passage was David’s response to God after Nathan informed him that his descendants would be enthroned forever as kings of Israel. David, the once poor shepherd boy, the man who would have repented of adultery and murder, responded to the news by saying, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me thus far?”
 
That pastor was John Newton, and those words struck a deep chord in his heart.
 
In those last days of 1772, Newton found himself running out of empty pages in his journal, a bound book of 300 pages holding 16 years worth of entries. As he came to finish that journal and start another, his mind was drawn to the pages of his past: the story of his life from his days as an unregenerate slave-trader to becoming a child of God.
 
Newton would have remembered when his rebellious spirit got him thrown off numerous ships, publicly flogged, and ousted from His Majesty’s Navy. He would have remembered the shipwrecks and the mutinies—and then the transformation of his heart by the power of the Gospel. As Newton considered those days gone by, he would have asked as David did, “Who am I, O Lord . . . that you have brought me this far?”
 
As was his habit, Newton set to work composing a hymn to illustrate his New Year’s Day sermon. In that hymn, he would tell his poor congregation of lace-makers and low-paid artisans about the dangers and snares he had faced. He would reflect on the amazing grace that had saved a wretch like him.
 
Those now-famous words of “Amazing Grace,” first sung in the small parish of Olney on New Year’s Day, 1773, lingered in obscurity for many years. Even as Newton counseled the young William Wilberforce and encouraged him to stay the course in the long battle against the slave trade, the words to “Amazing Grace” were little sung in England. But the Olney hymnal, later published by Newton, caught on in the Americas.
 
The words of “Amazing Grace” would surface again some 80 years later in a book that would change the course of this nation, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In it, the slave, Tom, at his lowest point, sings the words of “Amazing Grace.” Two verses hardly sung today were sung by Tom: “And when this mortal life shall fail/And flesh and sense shall cease,/ I shall possess within the veil,/ A life of joy and peace.” These words of the ultimate hope in God, even in the face of deep injustice, forever entwined the words of “Amazing Grace” with the plight of the slaves.
 
But it all began in that dark little study in the waning days of a year gone by, when one man took the time to reflect on God’s goodness to him.
 
This New Year’s Day we would all do well to pay tribute to Newton by imitating his gratitude to God and his heart for the lost. We would do well also to set aside some time to reflect on what God has done in our lives—how He has delivered us from slavery to sin. And we would do well to consider how we, in this new year of 2008, can sing God’s praise with our lips and with our lives.
 
"Amazing Grace" original lyrics by John New­ton, Ol­ney Hymns (Lon­don: W. Ol­i­ver, 1779)
 
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That sav’d a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
 
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev’d;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ’d!
 
Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
 
The Lord has promis’d good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
 
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
 
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call’d me here below,
Will be forever mine.
 
 
1 John 3:7-10
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does right is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 He who commits sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God commits sin; for God’s nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God. 10 By this it may be seen who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not do right is not of God, nor he who does not love his brother.
Psalm 98:1, 7-9
1 O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory. 7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! 8 Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together 9 before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
John 1:35-42
35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples; 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, "What do you seek?" And they said to him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" 39 He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying; and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, "So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas" (which means Peter).
 
 
Pope Benedict XVI Encyclical Letter
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20071130_spe-salvi_en.html
 
 

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You strayed from the way and did not return because you were ashamed. It would be more logical if you were ashamed not to return.

January 5, 2008

When: Friday, January 04, 2008 12:00 AM to Saturday, January 05, 2008 12:00 AM (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada).
 
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
 
Words of Jesus
And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."  And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." 
Luke 23:42-43
 
You strayed from the way and did not return because you were ashamed. It would be more logical if you were ashamed not to return.
— St. Jose Escriva’
 
Abba, Father, Lord God, this day when I once again struggled to find or make the time to spend with You, I am blessed by the commentary and podcast by Chuck Colson titled Reflections for New Year’s Day. From the words that David spoke to You in 1 Chronicles to their impact and inspiration on John Newton to write the hymn Amazing Grace, and his counseling of the young William Wilberforce and encouragement to stay the course which ended in the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833. This Act paved the way for the complete abolition of slavery in the British Empire; Wilberforce died just three days after hearing of the passage of the Act through Parliament. I am reminded just how insignificant the things are that I let affect me and how I must continue the fight so that there is more of Jesus and less of me in what I think, see and do. So I ask that in sharing this commentary and including the lyrics to Amazing Grace that You will use this posting to touch, humble and inspire someone else as You have done with me. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen. 
 
 
 
‘Amazing Grace’
 
At the end of December 1772, an Anglican priest in the poor parish of Olney worked by candlelight on his New Year’s Day sermon. He would preach on the text of 1 Chronicles 17, verses 16 and 17. That passage was David’s response to God after Nathan informed him that his descendants would be enthroned forever as kings of Israel. David, the once poor shepherd boy, the man who would have repented of adultery and murder, responded to the news by saying, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me thus far?”
 
That pastor was John Newton, and those words struck a deep chord in his heart.
 
In those last days of 1772, Newton found himself running out of empty pages in his journal, a bound book of 300 pages holding 16 years worth of entries. As he came to finish that journal and start another, his mind was drawn to the pages of his past: the story of his life from his days as an unregenerate slave-trader to becoming a child of God.
 
Newton would have remembered when his rebellious spirit got him thrown off numerous ships, publicly flogged, and ousted from His Majesty’s Navy. He would have remembered the shipwrecks and the mutinies—and then the transformation of his heart by the power of the Gospel. As Newton considered those days gone by, he would have asked as David did, “Who am I, O Lord . . . that you have brought me this far?”
 
As was his habit, Newton set to work composing a hymn to illustrate his New Year’s Day sermon. In that hymn, he would tell his poor congregation of lace-makers and low-paid artisans about the dangers and snares he had faced. He would reflect on the amazing grace that had saved a wretch like him.
 
Those now-famous words of “Amazing Grace,” first sung in the small parish of Olney on New Year’s Day, 1773, lingered in obscurity for many years. Even as Newton counseled the young William Wilberforce and encouraged him to stay the course in the long battle against the slave trade, the words to “Amazing Grace” were little sung in England. But the Olney hymnal, later published by Newton, caught on in the Americas.
 
The words of “Amazing Grace” would surface again some 80 years later in a book that would change the course of this nation, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In it, the slave, Tom, at his lowest point, sings the words of “Amazing Grace.” Two verses hardly sung today were sung by Tom: “And when this mortal life shall fail/And flesh and sense shall cease,/ I shall possess within the veil,/ A life of joy and peace.” These words of the ultimate hope in God, even in the face of deep injustice, forever entwined the words of “Amazing Grace” with the plight of the slaves.
 
But it all began in that dark little study in the waning days of a year gone by, when one man took the time to reflect on God’s goodness to him.
 
This New Year’s Day we would all do well to pay tribute to Newton by imitating his gratitude to God and his heart for the lost. We would do well also to set aside some time to reflect on what God has done in our lives—how He has delivered us from slavery to sin. And we would do well to consider how we, in this new year of 2008, can sing God’s praise with our lips and with our lives.
 
"Amazing Grace" original lyrics by John New­ton, Ol­ney Hymns (Lon­don: W. Ol­i­ver, 1779)
 
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That sav’d a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
 
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev’d;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ’d!
 
Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
 
The Lord has promis’d good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
 
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
 
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call’d me here below,
Will be forever mine.
 
 
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does right is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 He who commits sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God commits sin; for God’s nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God. 10 By this it may be seen who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not do right is not of God, nor he who does not love his brother.
1 O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory. 7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! 8 Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together 9 before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples; 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, "What do you seek?" And they said to him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" 39 He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying; and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, "So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas" (which means Peter).
 
 
Pope Benedict XVI Encyclical Letter
 
 

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